LOGISTICA CG35: Tel. Cel. 335 7555 118
(dall'estero +39 335 7555 118)

Curia Societatis Iesu
Borgo S. Spirito 4, 00193 Roma
Indirizzo postale: C.P. 6139, 00195 Roma-Prati
Tel: 06 68977 1 (dall'estero +39 06 68977 1)
Fax: 06 6868 214 (dall'estero +39 06 6868 214)

Pontificia Università Gregoriana. Comunità:
Piazza della Pilotta 4, 00187 ROMA
Tel (Portineria): 06 6701 1 (dall'estero: +39 06 6701 1)
Fax (Comunità): 06 6701 5413 (dall'estero: +39 06 6701 5413)
Fax (Palazzo Frascara): 06 6701 5326 (dall'estero: +39 06 6701 5326)

Pontificio Istituto Biblico, Via della Pilotta 25, 00187 ROMA.
Tel: portineria: 06 69526 1 (dall'estero: +39 06 69526 1)
Fax: 06 69526 6151 (dall'estero: +39 06 69526 6151)

Collegio S. Roberto Bellarmino, Via del Seminario 120, 00186 ROMA.
Tel. portineria: 06 69527 1 (dall'estero: +39 06 69527 1)
Fax: 06 69527 6562 (dall'estero: +39 06 69527 6562)

Collegio Internazionale del Gesù, Piazza del Gesù 45, 00186 ROMA
Tel. portineria: 06 69205 800; 06 69205 878
(dall'estero: +39 06 69205 800; +39 06 69205 878)
Fax 06 67807 80 (dall'estero: +39 06 67807 80)

Residenza S. Pietro Canisio,
Ingresso per Curia Generalizia: Borgo S. Spirito 4, 00193 Roma
Tel.: portineria: 06 68977 9; (dall'estero: +39 06 68977 9)
Fax: 06 68977 760 (dall'estero: +39 06 68977 760)

Casa BONUS PASTOR (Vicariato di Roma)
Via Aurelia, 208 - 00165 Roma
Tel.: 06 698 71282; (dall'estero: +39 06 698 71282)
Fax: 06 688 71435: (dall'estero: +39 06 698 71435)

Casa SAN ONOFRIO (Suore Dorotee)
Via del Gianicolo, 4A - 00165 Roma
Tel.: 06 6880 2057 (dall'estero: +39 06 6880 2057)

JESUIT IDENTITY

1. The Issue: The need to clarify our identity as Jesuits, the distinctiveness of our way of life and mission, has surfaced in recent conversations, most notably at the meeting of Major Superiors at Loyola 2005. Such clarification seems necessitated in the changing context of:
1.1 The Church which is increasingly a Church of the Laity with the mission of the laity receiving its due importance which, however, raises questions about the continuing relevance of religious life in the Church. Appreciation for religious life among some members of the hierarchy seems to be diminishing;
1.2 The World where a new and rapidly changing technological and a highly sexualized and secular culture is developing. The insecurity and confusion this generates with regard to religious life and the practice of the vows, and religious structures of governance has consequences for our self-understanding and our mission;
1.3 The Society where the multi-culturalism of its members and the diversity of cultural contexts of mission make union of hearts and minds problematic and seem to foster fragmentation rather than integration in apostolic works. The decreased interest in the vocation to Jesuit Brotherhood provokes reflection on how well the identity of the Jesuit Brother is understood and presented.

2. An Analysis: Reflecting on the postulates, the Coetus Praevius recommended that the Society consciously use its powerful spiritual tradition to rediscover and strengthen Jesuit identity. As social and ecclesial supports seem to weaken, the Society has to pay closer attention to the significance of Jesuit community life as a value in itself and as support for mission. Inadequate formation in our charism is a deficiency that needs to be seriously addressed. No adequate response to the crisis of vocations in some parts of the Society can be made unless Jesuits have clarity and confidence in our identity.

3. The Response of the Coetus Praevius was to recommend a decree that would help Jesuits deepen their self-understanding in the challenging context in which we live and serve, accepting that this could not be a comprehensive resolution but an aid to live our lives joyfully and with apostolic fruit.
This may call for both a theological reflection and re-imagining and perhaps changing, the way in which we understand ourselves, live together, minister and how we give witness. The response would be enriched through dialogue with other religious families and our lay partners.
We seem to require a contemporary restatement of our identity as men "whose mission is to dedicate himself entirely to the service of faith and promotion of justice, in a communion of life and work and sacrifice with the companions who have rallied round the same standard of the Cross and in fidelity to the Vicar of Christ, for building up a world at once more human and more divine" (GC 32.D.2, 31) Among the elements that would assist a proper understanding of Jesuit identity would be insistence on our mission of a faith that promotes justice, and dialogue with religions and cultures, an option for and solidarity with the poor in life and ministry, formation to be truly contemplative in action, faithful living of our vows, especially the apostolic obedience characteristic of our way of proceeding, flowing from the account of conscience and with a proper understanding of the 4th vow, the effective integration of the Brothers in the mission of the Society and the particular contribution the Society is called to make in Church and the world.

Relevant Resources
G.C. 32, Decree 2, 11
G.C. 34, Decree 2,6,7,11,26
Fr. General's Talk to the Major Superiors at Loyola 2000
Fr. General's Talk at the Meeting of Procurators 2003
Fr. General's Letter on the Account of Conscience (2005/02)

Questions for personal and communal reflection

1. Do you feel that our Jesuit identity seems problematic at the personal and/or community level? If so, what are the elements that contribute to this sense of uncertainty? If no, what are the features that sustain authentic Jesuit identity?
2. From your experience, is sufficient attention paid to our formation in our charism, our way of proceeding and our history and culture so as to strengthen corporate Jesuit identity? If not, what concrete steps in this direction could you suggest at the level of personal and community formation?
3. Is the sense of Jesuit identity and mission sufficiently vigorous to support a search for vocations suitable for our life and work?
4. Have our efforts to promote partnership with the laity in mission been detrimental to the proper presentation of and search for vocations to the Brotherhood?

THE MISSION OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS IN THE CONTEXT OF
GLOBALIZATION-MARGINALIZATION

The Mission of the Society Today
1. The universal dimension of our mission: How can the Society best articulate its mission in the changing realities of our times? The postulates on mission stress the need to reflect on and rearticulate our mission in light of the particular challenges of our era: increasing globalization and global inequality, the multicultural reality of societies and countries, resistance to the empowerment of the poor, ecological issues, and growing challenges to faith, religious identity and Jesuit vocation (Cf. Coetus praevius, p. 8).

2. The context of globalization: How can the Society best integrate the issue of globalization into its ministries and way of proceeding? The postulates urge the Society´s action in response to the inequalities and injustices of the globalization process, which excludes the poor in most parts of the world. Decisions in a globalized world are increasingly made by fewer and fewer elites, making a mockery of democracy, freedom and human rights. In its evaluation, the coetus praevius notes that globalization is something new that expands the scope of every apostolic challenge and opportunity and gives new insight into the universality of Christ´s mission whose servants we are. Thus the need to adapt governance structures in order to carry out the Society´s universal mission. This demands cooperation and the type of governance that transcends provincial, conference and assistancy boundaries.

3. Marginalization: What should be the response of the Society of Jesus to the challenges posed by the diverse situations of marginalization that accompany globalization? The postulates mention the following situations requiring our attention: Africa, indigenous and discriminated peoples, migrants, refugees and displaced peoples, and the commitment for peace, reconciliation and human rights.

Documents
GC 34, decrees 2-5 and decree 16.
Fr. General´s 1986 letter on communal apostolic discernment.
Promotio Justitiae, We live in a Broken World (#70, 1999); Seeking Peace in a Violent World: New Challenges (#98, 2005).
Social Justice Secretariat, Globalization and Marginalization: Our Global Apostolic Response (2006).

Questions for personal and communal reflection
1. How is the understanding of the global challenges to our apostolic mission present in our communal discernment? How does the community in which I live, or the apostolic institution in which I work, promote the study and analysis of social reality and the challenges it poses to our mission today?

2. In what ways do we perceive interest in our community (Province) in reaching greater inter-provincial and international cooperation for mission, transcending province boundaries, in order to respond to the apostolic priorities of the universal Society? What do we need to do to promote Ignatian freedom in order to be able to sacrifice a local apostolic project in view of far-reaching and more universal projects?

3. What are our attitudes as an apostolic community regarding the situations of marginalization in our globalized world: Africa, discriminated peoples, migrants, refugees and displaced peoples? How do we express our solidarity on their behalf? In what concrete ways is the preferential love of the poor manifested in our communities and apostolic works? How is the commitment for peace, reconciliation and human rights present in our preaching and action?

The Vow of Obedience to the Holy Father

The Holy Father Benedict XVI has asked that GC 35 deepen the spirit of devotion and special fidelity to the "Vicar of Christ on earth," as expressed in our fourth vow.

1. The Object and Spirit of the Vow:

In the Constitutions in numbers 603 and 605, the strictly juridical object of this vow, so characteristic of the Society, has been precisely formulated but as such used only rarely. There the vow is reserved to the particular missions entrusted to us by the Holy Father.

Nonetheless, the first Jesuits never understood that the strict application of the vow to being sent on mission meant that the spirit of the vow was limited exclusively to that. In the Constitutions Saint Ignatius never tires of speaking of our "chief and primary" obedience to the Holy Father (n.633). The text of the Constitutions sets forth a clear hierarchy of the various levels of obedience: the "first" is owed to the Holy Father and "then" to Superiors of the Society (n.547). This obedience requires that the Society place "its own judgment and will wholly under that of Christ our Lord and his vicar" (n.606).

Fr. Nadal gives this explanation: "The Society desires to follow Christ and to unite itself to Him as closely as possible, and since we cannot see him more clearly than in his Vicar, we submit ourselves to him with a special vow…. It is Christ who speaks to us in him and who gives us assurance of his will."

Father Arrupe of happy memory wrote: "How should we read for our times, this fragment of eternity in which we are given to live, with its particular circumstances, the words of Ignatius which are the object of our commentary: to serve the Lord and the Church his Spouse, under the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on earth?" (Jesuit Identity. In Our Time. To Serve only the Lord…)

2. The Last General Congregations

The 32nd General Congregation, in its famous Decree 2 on our identity, used the words of Paul VI's allocution to describe the distinctive characteristic of the Society: "a companionship that is, at one and the same time, 'religious, apostolic, sacerdotal, and bound to the Roman Pontiff by a special bond of love and service'." (II, 24)

The last three Congregations repeated again that obedience to the Vicar of Christ continues to be, as in the time of the first Jesuits, "the source and principal foundation " of the Society of Jesus, and the 33rd confesses humbly that "recently our fidelity under certain circumstances has not been perfect and has caused concern to those who exercise pastoral office." (n.8, cf GC34, 11, 19)

In a particularly delicate circumstance Fr. Arrupe wrote: "the mission of the Society is to bring about that the way of thinking of the Church be accepted and loved." (15 August 1968) He knew well that the Society cannot fulfil this mission effectively if it does not incorporate it affectively, with a sincere loyalty expressed in love and harmony.
The carefully crafted Decree 11 of GC34 "On Having a Proper Attitude of Service in the Church," closes with these words in its number 28: "[Our] service will be Christian only if anchored by fidelity to him who makes all things new. It will be Jesuit only if it is in union with the successor of Peter. For this union has always given us the assurance indeed, it is the visible sign - 'of our communion with Christ, the first and supreme head of the Society which by its very name is his: the Society of Jesus.'"

3. Some Questions in the Light of These Texts:

a. What has helped you as a Jesuit to strengthen the special bond of love and service to the Holy Father? What difficulties have you experienced in your apostolic life with respect to this special bond with the Holy Father?

b. Does the measure of our sincerity in obedience to the Vicar of Christ on earth continue to be what Saint Ignatius termed "readiness", or does there prevail in some a lack of confidence in his decisions and his magisterium?

c. What elements should be emphasized in our formation to promote a growth in the spirit of devotion and special fidelity to the "Vicar of Christ on earth"?

d. Ignatius, as we read in his Autobiography, suffered much for the Church and he also suffered much at her hands (Alcalá, Salamanca, Paris…). However all of this served to purify his faith in the Church and in the Vicar of Christ. Do we react in this way in the face of the difficulties that come our way? Do we see growth in our faith in the Church, the Spouse of Christ, "governed and ruled" by his Spirit (SpEx,365)?

THE ECOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF THE SOCIETY'S MISSION

1. Introduction:
Ecology was one of the themes on which we received many postulates, coming from all parts of the world. This indicates a new sensitivity and a growing concern in the Society.

The postulates recommend that GC35 give this theme special attention, emphasizing the bond between ecology and justice, and affirming it as a constitutive dimension of our mission today. The Society should accept this ecological dimension not only as an apostolic priority, but also should consider it as a permanent dimension of our Mission.

Questions for reflection and community discussion:

• Do we agree with the integrated view offered by these postulates?
• Compared to several years ago, do we have today a "new sensitivity" and "growing concern" about this problem? Or do we consider it rather of interest only to younger generations or to some smaller political parties?

2. Facts justifying the importance of this dimension today:
The postulates refer to certain glaring facts: more frequent ecological disasters, studies demonstrating the worsening situations in some regions and the risks facing the very planet, an increasingly dire impact of all this on the poor, and the growing number of refugees that has resulted.

Regarding the present situation of the Society they point out a paradoxical fact: though the Society and our lay companions enjoy nowadays ample possibilities to join forces with other institutions inside or outside of the church in addressing this enormous ecological problem, nevertheless the Society has not been sufficiently prophetic, nor has it committed itself in an area so critical for the fate of the planet.

Our greatest contribution has been We Live in a Broken World: Reflections on Ecology (Promotio Justitiae 70, 1999), which does not appear to have had much of an impact on the life of the Society.

Questions for reflection and community discussion:

• Are there examples of ecological problems or disasters in our city or region? Are there any serious and effective institutions in our area engaged in this question?
• Do we agree or not with the judgment of some postulates that in this area the Society has lacked a prophetic stance and commitment?
• How do you judge the opinion of some who say that the complexity of this issue makes a commitment by individuals and communities unrealistic, and that only governments have the capacity to respond to it?

3. Recommendations of the coetus praevius:
It is clear that in a changing context the universality of the problem and the sense of shared responsibility have grown greatly since GC34 (cf. Decree 2, nº 9, Decree 20).

On the other hand, reconciliation with nature, as spoken of today, not only embraces but also gives a new standing to the social dimension of the problem, constituting something novel that raises new theological perspectives.

Regarding the contribution of the Society, it is important that we not overlook the "pantheistic" focus of some ecological movements, to say nothing of the difficulty in finding in them a Christological aspect. For this reason the Society is challenged to work with others in theology and spirituality so as to make here a truly Christian contribution.

Nor should we overlook the close bond between the ecological dimension and the matter of justice: Environmental degradation (global warming, deforestation, desertification, flooding, etc.) affect not only nature, God's creation, and future generations, but principally the poor who live in worsening urban and rural situations because they do not possess the means to protect themselves. "Unscrupulous exploitation of natural resources and the environment degrades the quality of life; it destroys cultures and sinks the poor in misery" (GC34, Decree 3, nº9).

Questions for reflection and community discussion:

• Have we read any articles or books on the ecological problem, and more concretely, any with a focus on the light of faith?
• Where do we think the Society should make its specific contribution in this area? How should we reconsider our option for faith and justice?
• What place does this concern have in the programs of our schools and universities, in the formation of our social centers, in the preaching in our churches and parishes?

Documents:
GC34, Decree 3, nº9 and Decree 20.
Promotio Justitiae, We Live in a Broken World: Reflections on Ecology, #70, 1999.
The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Vatican 2004, nº 471, 478.
The Ignatian Ecological Network, coordinated by the Secretary for Social Justice in the General Curia.

The Society of Jesus is preparing for a General Congregation whose objective is to deal with longlasting and important matters which affect the whole body of the Society (cf. Const. 680), especially the election of a new Superior General.Thus we wish to pray to our Lord Jesus Christ:

Lord Jesus Christ, you desire that the Society that bears your name may gather together in your Spirit and may fulfill your will in all its decisions (cf. Acts 15, 28). Through the intercession of the Virgin Mary Mother of God, St. Ignatius and all the Saints and
Blessed of the Society of Jesus, we bring you our prayers:

1. That the upcoming General Congregation may be a time of listening to your Spirit, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

2. That the Electors may receive the gift of discernment, so that they may serve the wellbeing
of the whole Society of Jesus, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

3. That all Jesuits may grow in the desire to serve the needs of the Church with increasing self-donation, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

4. That we Jesuits may be renewed in our fidelity to the Holy Father, your Vicar on earth, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

5. That you renew in us the strength to make you known among those who have not yet heard of you, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

6 That we may be guided by a true love for the poor and the little ones and the desire to work for justice and peace among peoples, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

7. That we might have the heart of the good Shepherd who seeks and finds the lost, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

8. That we may be guided by your wisdom to promote dialogue between our faith and the cultures of today and between peoples of different religions, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

9. That we may give witness in words and in action to the Gospel of the Lord and learn how to help the persons around us in their search for God, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

10. That the Church and the Society of Jesus may be gifted by new vocations, we pray:
Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

11. That you will bless all our friends and benefactors, we pray: Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

Let us pray as the Lord has taught us to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Let us pray:

Lord, in your providence you guided Saint Ignatius to found the Society of Jesus. Enrich it, we pray, with gifts of heart, mind and spirit. Make us all one with you in holiness and love, that we may discern your will and carry it out with constancy and faith. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Praised be Jesus Christ - forever. Amen.

WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNITY LIFE
IS THE LORD ASKING OF ME, OF US TODAY?

Community life is one of the essential elements in our religious life. Since GC 31 the Society has witnessed important changes in our religious life and in our community life. Moreover, the present social, ecclesial, and cultural contexts in which our communities exist have undergone significant changes during this time that have influenced the way we live together in community. All of this has created a desire around the world that, despite the recent documents on community life, the issue be addressed in depth in GC 35.

In what follows we have made use of the report of the Commission on Community Life and the "Relationes Praeviae". It is presented in a way to lead to prayer and personal and community discernment.

Composition of Place: Reflect back over the history of my life in community, from the novitiate up to the present. Types of community. Friendships. Helps or hindrances for the mission. Problems encountered, and so forth.

Prayer: To ask for what we desire. That Our Lord, in my concrete situation and that of the Society today, enlighten us on what sort of Jesuit community is pleasing to him, and that his Spirit convert us and bring about such communities in accord with his will (Mt 7,21).

First Point: To recognize before the Lord, with gratitude, the progress realized in our common life in the last few decades.

• First and foremost is the renewal of Ignatian spirituality in the life of Jesuits and in community life as "friends in the Lord" and companions on mission (cfr GC 32, d. 11; letter of Fr. Kolvenbach on community life in 1998). "Individual direction of the Spiritual Exercises…, spiritual direction through formation and afterward, studies on the spirituality of the Society." "Spiritual intimacy and candor between the Superior and subject, as well as between the Superior and community…. Intergenerational dialogue has become a source of communal and apostolic renewal. Many feel the significance of the shared processes of decision-making, whether made at the community level or at the level of the Province and its works."
• "There emerged the desire to live our charism more simply, frequently in smaller communities, often inserted among the poor. Communities have become more hospitable internally and externally. Because of improved means of communications, Jesuits at a very local level can feel themselves deeply linked to communities on other continents, thus helping to develop a sense of the universal mission of the Society."
• "There has emerged a list of characteristic means that aid communities in finding the fruit that nurtures the mission, the person, and the witness of the community…. No community has achieved the above transformations without regular and well planned community meetings, whether weekly or monthly…. Hence, methods of communal apostolic discernment draw us together not only as companions on mission but also in a life given to Christ at intimate, even mystical levels. The yearly shared planning of priorities for spiritual and fraternal life make of our communities themselves a communal apostolic project."

From your personal experience of community:

• Do you recognize yourself and your community in these positive elements?
• How do you experience and give expression to your gratitude to the Lord, both personally and in community, for the vitality of community life in the Society?

Second Point: To recognize before the Lord, with humility, the setbacks and failures in the communities of the Society (Jn 21,15-17): (The Commission report raises six common defects in the Society.)

• "Individualism, often named as one of modernity's pervasive sins, has a strong hold on many Jesuits…. For their own part, Jesuits themselves must take responsibility for treating the community at times as a hotel or gas station."
• "While there are good examples of Superiorship, there is often a lack of effective leadership within the Society."
• "Certain imbalances plague Jesuit thinking and living. The tensions between work and community, prayer and mission, community requirements and personal schedule lead Jesuits to choose improperly between false poles of life."
• "Many communities and works have simply not attempted any form of discernment, communal shared prayer, or honest evaluation" of the work or of the community.
• "There is a general lack of competence in dealing with some issues that arise in community" - health concerns, old age, poor communication, and personal dysfunction.
• "Too many communities fail to see their prophetic responsibility to witness the presence of Christ in their manner of living and in the relation among their members…. Fewer communities live among the poor."

From your personal experience of community:
" Do you recognize yourself and your community in these defects?
" How do you experience and give expression to your sorrow before the Lord for the sinful situations that exist in community life in the Society?

Third Point: The Coetus Praevius mentions some challenges facing us in the area of community life (Mk 9,23-29).

• "Jesuit community life is, and must remain, unambiguously for mission…. Expectations of community life have never been higher…. The significance of community life in itself as mission has been emphasized." It is considered a prophetic witness in a fragmented world. Communities should become forums for apostolic discernment in common.
• While in the years since GC 31 the Society has experienced renewal at the personal and apostolic levels, we have not given the same degree of attention to the dynamics proper to community life. "Younger men entering the Society may have expectations of affectivity and intimacy in community life that are not always shared by other Jesuits."
• We need to develop a rich liturgical dimension that nourishes and promotes community life and mission.
• Our simplicity of life should reflect our ecological concerns. In fact, ecology should become a key consideration in our life together (Relationes Praeviae, pp. 49-51).

From your personal experience of community:

• Do you recognize yourself and your community in these challenges?
• How do you experience and give expression to the Lord, personally and in community, of your desire to address these challenges for the improvement of community life in the Society?

VOCATION PROMOTION

The Postulate

The first thing to note is that, even in the current situation of "vocation emergency" in the Society, only one postulate was received on vocation promotion. The postulate requests that each Province establish an ongoing program for vocation promotion for finding, welcoming and accompanying qualified candidates to the Society of Jesus in each culture, region and province (Cf. Coetus praevius, p. 55).

Analysis and recommendation of the coetus praevius

The main question is: Why are there few vocations in some parts of the Society, and what can we do about it? Although it is true that vocation promoters are doing their best through various activities and initiatives, there is a need to do a more thorough research on the causes of the diminishing number of vocations and to carry out an exchange on best practices in vocation promotion.

Our search for recruits should keep in the forefront of our mind that "because … the missions on which the Holy Father and our superiors are likely to send (us) demand trained minds and dedicated spirits," (GC 32.D.2, 25) our candidates should be those who can truly profit from the "spiritual and intellectual formation more than ordinarily exacting" (ibid.) the Society offers to the best of its ability. Hence, there needs to be clear insistence on the quality of the candidates we accept.

The coetus praevius recommends that vocation promotion be a topic for discussion at GC 35, with the hope that it may produce some recommendations for Fr. General and the ordinary government of the Society.

Documents
GC 34, decree 10.
Complementary Norms, 412
Letter of Fr. General (97/12): Practical Aspects of Promoting Vocations to the Society.

Questions for personal and communal reflection

1. What do I do to make vocation promotion a real priority in the apostolate in which I work, in my community, in the province? How many times have I talked to anyone about the possibility of a vocation to the Society? How many young men have I invited to consider the possibility of a vocation to the Society? What resources has the Province dedicated to vocation promotion?

2. In what ways does the religious and apostolic witness of Jesuits help or hinder vocation promotion? Fr. General´s letter on vocation promotion (1997) says that our witness helps "if we live our vocation and mission in a clear, visible, unambiguous way, as an apostolic body and not simply as individual apostles." On the other hand, "the lack of simplicity in our lifestyle, inconsistencies in our way of living the vows, a certain disaffection with regard to the hierarchy and ambiguities in relation to the Church´s teaching, lack of zeal and apostolic creativity, and the lack of openness and hospitality in our communities," all of these are obstacles to vocation promotion.

3. What is the relationship between vocation promotion and youth work? How do we share the life of young people in our educational institutions and pastoral work? What means help us to enter into contact with them? How often do we invite young people to make the Spiritual Exercises?

4. What are our attitudes regarding vocation promotion: discouragement and skepticism or enthusiasm and hope? How do we demonstrate our belief that the Lord has placed the future of the Society in our hands while at the same time "trusting that he himself will foster and advance this project which he launched for his service and praise, and assistance to his people?" (Const. X, 812).

5. It is a fact that the Society is diminishing in some parts of the world. If there is a diminishing number of vocations in my Province or region, what are the causes for the decline of vocations? What has my Province or region done to study the causes of this decline? In the promotion of vocations and selection of candidates is there sufficient insistence on the quality of recruits so that they be formed as the "trained minds and dedicated spirits" our mission demands?

COOPERATION WITH THE LAITY IN MISSION

Introduction

The topic of the relationship of the Society to the laity is not new. Over 40 years ago the 31st GC (1965-66), in decree 33, dealt with this issue in response to the orientations of Vatican II. More recently, decree 13 of the 34th GC (1995) gave renewed impulse to Jesuit-lay partnership when it affirmed: "The Society of Jesus acknowledges as a grace of our day and a hope for the future that laity ´take an active, conscientious and responsible part in the mission of the Church in this great moment of history.´ We seek to respond to this grace by offering ourselves in service to the full realization of this mission of the laity, and we commit ourselves to that end by cooperating with them in their mission" (#1).

Postulates

The postulates ask for confirmation, clarification and further elaboration on the Society´s commitment to and practice of decree 13 of GC 34. The main question is: What can GC 35 say that will clarify the Society´s response to collaboration? [Another group of postulates request clarification on the meaning and implications of the juridical bond with lay associates, posing the question: What should GC 35 say about the ´juridical bond´ issue? Since the number of "lay associates" is rather small and limited to certain geographical areas of the Society, we are not suggesting here a reflection on this issue].

Confirmation, Clarification and Further Elaboration

The 34th GC made a bold statement: "The Society of Jesus places itself at the service of the mission of the laity by offering what we are and have received: our spiritual and apostolic inheritance, our educational resources and our friendship" (decree 13, #7). The greatest gift Jesuits offer is Ignatian spirituality to animate the ministry of the laity. This basic intuition, while requesting confirmation, also necessitates clarification and further elaboration. In our experience of collaboration in the past few years we have observed:
- the variety of relations between Jesuits and lay people and the strong desire to improve collaboration;
- the awareness of the different levels of collaboration and of the different cultural and religious contexts in which it takes place;
- our collaborators share our work, but not all of them share our spirituality; they include people of other faiths and non-believers;
- others explicitly share our spirituality but are not involved in our ministries;
- the importance of distinguishing the religious and the lay vocation.

It is expected that the 35th GC, while thanking God for the grace experienced with the apostolic partnership between Jesuits and lay people, may be able to:
- propose further reflection on the theological foundations of this collaboration;
- describe the variety of forms of collaboration, their specificity, and their limits;
- give guidance on formation programs for different types of colleagues;
- offer direction regarding shared discernment and shared decision making processes in our ministries;
- provide guidelines on the responsibility and accountability of Jesuits and lay partners as they cooperate in the mission and administration of Jesuit works.

Documents
GC 31, decree 33.
GC 34, decree 13.
Promotio Justitiae, Jesuit-Lay Partnership in the Social Apostolate, (#92, 2006/3).
Review of Ignatian Spirituality, (CIS), Collaboration in Mission: Jesuit-Lay Partnership, (#114, 2007).

Questions for personal and communal reflection

1. Father Arrupe coined the term "men for others" and Father Kolvenbach added that we are "men for others and with others." How do you stand before this call to collaborate with others in mission? In what ways do you think it is just a "strategy" due to the diminishment of vocations to the Society? How have you experienced it as a real grace of our day and hope for the future?

2. What are the positive/negative elements, lights and shadows, that you have experienced in the relations of collaboration between Jesuits and lay people in the apostolate where you work? What have you discovered together that can be of assistance to improve collaboration?

3. Decree 13 of the 34th GC affirms that cooperation with laity in mission requires the formation and renewal of both Jesuits and our lay colleagues (#8-9). What are some examples of Province formation programs or opportunities for Jesuits and lay people to achieve better collaboration?

4. The last sentence of decree 13 of the 34th GC says: "The Spirit is calling us as men for and with others to share with lay men and women what we believe, who we are, and what we have, in creative companionship, for the help of souls and the greater glory of God." How have you said "yes" to this statement and made it operative in your life? How do you think this statement needs to be modified?

GOVERNANCE
(Conferences, Presidents, Inter-Provincial Cooperation)

The Issue

In the context of a globalizing and more interconnected world, and in view of a better and more effective response to wider apostolic challenges, the postulates request that GC 35 improve international and inter-provincial cooperation in the Society. The Conference is seen as promoting this as it forms a structure of facilitation between Fr. General and the individual Major Superiors in this context.

Specific postulates ask the GC to clarify the status of Conferences and their Presidents: strengthen the Conferences of Provincials, provide for better global coordination and support, and decentralize governance with a wider sharing of functions and responsibilities. Currently, more or less on the level of the Continents, there are six Conferences/Presidents in the Society: Africa, Latin America, South Asia, East Asia, Europe and the USA. The six Presidents of the Conferences meet once a year with Father General. This meeting has the status of an annual consultation prepared by him with them.

(Europe is changing from four Conferences on the level of the four Assistancies and one All-European Conference/President to one Conference/President with four "sub-conferences".)

Reasons

Many problems of today are global problems and need cooperation beyond the confines of one province or region. The facilities of communication and travel require a change in our way of proceeding. We should be able to respond with more flexibility and swiftness.

There are already areas of responsibility and decision entrusted to Conferences concerning geographical regions, common works and houses, formation centers, inter-provincial networks and structures, etc.

This development is in line with GCs 31 - 34 and Loyola 2005. While respecting cultural differences, the Society of Jesus needs greater unity in the system for better cooperation. A Jesuit province is part of the whole body of the Society of Jesus and not an independent entity. Consequently a Provincial should see himself as co-provincial, working together with other provincials, in union with Fr. General for the good of the whole apostolic and missionary body. Conferences of provincials promote better apostolic planning beyond the province-level, and foster inter-provincial and supra-provincial cooperation.

The documents of the Society speak of giving the Presidents the necessary "authority to carry on their mission and task."

Resources

• Speeches of Fr. General to CPAL in Paraguay (2001) and Chile (2006);
• GC31 Decree 48, GC 34, Decree 21;
• Fr. General's opening address to Provincials at Loyola 20th September 1990, (AR XX, especially pp. 469-473, nn. 111-128)
• Guidelines for Provincials, especially nn. 58, 73-78

Suggestions of the Coetus Praevius

The Coetus recommends a document which would improve governance structures in the Society at all levels. The text could include the following considerations.

The three principles of good governance in the SJ, endorsed at the Loyola 2005 meeting, should be guiding principles for every re-organization: unity between Cura personalis and Cura Apostolica; subsidiarity; sufficient authority.

Under the leadership of Fr. General, Provincials should see themselves (more) as Co-Provincials. This commitment includes apostolic planning at the Conference level, as well as Provincial-level planning that is inclusive of other apostolic needs of Provinces and the Conference.

The first task of a President is to strengthen unanimity, but in the field of his competence he should be able to take decisions. He must respectfully enter into the ongoing discernment of the local provincial so that together they can make decisions in favor of the more universal good.

Although one speaks of "faculties" and "power" of the President in the formal, juridical sense, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of the "moral authority" that allows him to propose objectives for collaboration and helps him to promote consensus among the provincials.

Questions for personal and communal reflection

1. How are the decisions and recommendations of your Conference communicated to Province communities and members? What significance do these have for the life and mission of the Province?

2. In what way is the structure of the Conference a helpful one to promote interest in and involvement in the supra-Provincial and universal Society and works? How could it be more effective in doing this?

3. What readiness do you discern in the Province membership to concern itself with issues that go beyond Province interests and needs? How could greater openness and collaboration at the supra-Provincial and international level be promoted?